At 985, Maharashtra logs highest single-day Covid deaths, positive cases dip

Maharashtra witnessed close to 1,000 Covid-19 deaths for the first time since the pandemic outbreak. The state reported 985 pandemic deaths on Wednesday, which is the highest single-day deaths reported so far, taking the total deaths to 67,214. The state also reported 63,309 new infections on Wednesday, pushing its tally to 44,73,394 cases so far.

Mumbai witnessed close to 5,000 fresh Covid cases on Wednesday, with 4,966 new infections and 78 Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, increasing the total positive cases to 6,40,507 and 12,990 fatalities till now.

However, the number of deaths has gone up and so is the Case Fatality Ratio (CFR). The daily CFR on April 7 was 0.23 per cent and on Wednesday, it was 1.57 per cent. Significantly, hospitals across the city are yet to record a dip in demand for Covid beds.

“The lockdown-like measures have definitely worked in the city, but this is also a typical trend in the pandemic waves. You record a sudden surge and then a slump,” said Dr Avinash Supe, member of the task force of Covid-19 deaths. Moreover the city’s situation is expected to stabilise by May 15.

He further said the deaths that we are recording now are of people who have been hospitalised when the number of cases was high.

“In this wave, we have seen few deaths within a day or two after hospitalisation. Almost 80% of people who have succumbed have battled the virus atleast for a week or two week in the hospital,” Supe added.

Dr Lancelot Pinto, an epidemiologist from Hinduja Hospital, said the lockdown has helped in bringing down the cases and the trend is likely to continue. “Maharashtra is witnessing the downward trend earlier than anticipated at national level, because the second wave hit Mumbai and Maharashtra first. Similar trend was witnessed during the first wave too. We can avoid the spikes in cases by adapting mass vaccination drive. However, the mortality rate is expected to continue for a week or two as it always lag behind the cases by 2-3 weeks,” he said.